The present invention relates to a compact and lightweight material moving apparatus and method of loading and moving material when performing construction, excavation, grading, landscaping, and other tasks.
Various types of grading or material moving devices have been in existence for many years, for example historic horse-drawn blades to current large models for interstate highway construction. Disadvantages of machines currently known in the art include elevated cost, poor transportability, poor ability to work in confined areas, and width of gradable area being wider than desired. Machines currently used also use unacceptably elevated amounts of fuel and oil, and are not considered environmentally friendly.
Further, power-assist devices have been in existence for decades. These machines are found in a variety of sizes and take many forms depending upon the tasks for which the machines are designed. Typically, the power-assist machines include a plurality of pneumatic support wheels, a cab or seat, and foot pedals for use by the operator of the device. These machines are most commonly equipped with a bucket or skid with which material may be moved. Some of the machines may be provided with one or more attachments, which may increase the utility of such devices.
While the machines currently known have great utility, they also have significant drawbacks. One drawback is that these machines are relatively heavy, use elevated amounts of fuel, and are less maneuverable. The small support wheels, usually having pneumatic tires, have a large ground contact pressure and tend to become mired in soft ground or in muddy conditions. A popular attachment for such machines are pairs of endless tracks that are configured to be connected to the tires on the wheels. These tracks are an added expense, as well as being cumbersome, heavy and difficult to install. Additionally, attachment and removal of the tracks requires that the machine be taken out of service for a variable amount of time. The tracks also can become dislodged and disengaged due to misalignment, underinflation of the pneumatic tires, insufficient tensioning of the tracks, stretching of the track due to wear and tear, and the like.
Another drawback of machines used presently is that auxiliary counterweights, related to a size limitation, must be used. Some of the prior art machines use auxiliary counterweights to increase the rated load carrying capacity. However, the weights are usually attached only on the rear of a machine and serve only to increase the lifting capacity of the machine. Typically, only a bucket or other lightweight accessory is originally attached to the machine and more counterweight is needed to counterbalance the lifting requirement. There is currently no provision for counterbalancing accessories attached to currently-used machines that require the front ends of lift arms to provide a competing or downward pushing force.
Skid-steer loaders, where “skid-steer” refers to a loader's steering, are well known in the construction industry, and are versatile, powerful machines used extensively for material handling purposes. Skid-steer loaders use four hydrostatically driven wheels and allow the machine to turn within its own wheel base by breaking or counter-rotating each side, similar to a military tank track controlling mechanism.
Different types of light-duty, skid steer loaders called mini-loaders are also currently known in the industry. These machines are significantly smaller than typical construction skid-steer loaders but may not be correspondingly less expensive. Attachments for these mini-loaders are also available for landscaping, ground maintenance, turf building, light industrial uses, small contracting industries, and small farming industries. These machines are a scaled-down version of a skid-steer device designed to work in confined construction areas. The mini-skid-steer devices or mini-loaders currently used accommodate the small contractor and rental market. These light-duty, skid-steer loaders are still too large and expensive for personal home use, storage, or easy transportation. Additionally, the skid-steer wheel control acts in general like a tank track, i.e. one side is locked up, or skidded, while the others continue to rotate. This type of steering control tends to tear up the turf or ground on which the skid-steer vehicle is operating, making such vehicles impracticable for personal home use in a garden, lawn or anywhere that the surface or ground should remain relatively undisturbed. Additionally, skid-steer drive and steering systems are expensive to service and repair must be performed by skilled experts.
Garden tractors are also well known in the art and can be designed for use with a front blade for light dozing work (for instance, with snow and/or a snow thrower for the same purpose). Larger garden tractors have substantial horsepower and sturdy frames that can accommodate ground-engaging attachments such as tillers, dozer blades, small backhoes, and other useful accessories. While garden tractors offer substantial abilities to mow and do light garden work, they do not have any vertical lifting capability and are not useful as a loader or a digger and have poor ground clearance, large turning radiuses, and cumbersome attachment methods.
Self-balancing motorized human transporters are also known in the art. These machines use gyroscopes attached to sensors in order to determine pitch. Segway® transporters, for example, use a special solid-state angular rate sensor. Segway® transporters do have disadvantages because they are very expensive and are not designed for material movement attachments. Thus, they are currently used only for personal transport.